Nissan's e-NV200 small van to deliver for FedEx Express in D.C. area

Jan. 23, 2014

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FedEx Express and Nissan will soon begin testing the automaker’s new all-electric e-NV200 vehicle for some deliveries in the Washington, D.C., region.

The partnership marks the first time that the new vehicle will be tested in North America, as previous delivery tests were conducted in Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

In the test, Memphis-based FedEx will study whether the e-NV200 cargo vehicle can meet the requirements for an everyday delivery vehicle.

“We’re eager to work with FedEx and other companies to put the e-NV200 through its paces to continue to build awareness of the capability of electric vehicles and to evaluate how well it meets the needs of the commercial consumer,” said Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of electric vehicle sales and marketing.

The e-NV200, which is scheduled to begin mass production later this year in Europe, is Nissan’s second EV that it has marketed globally after the Nissan Leaf, which is built in Smyrna.

Nissan said the product’s design — including strategic placement of the battery — creates a larger cargo area and allows for strategic placement of cargo inside the vehicle.

FedEx Express currently has 167 electric vehicles and 365 hybrid electric vehicles operating in seven countries, including the U.S, including the units that will be deployed in Brazil starting in January. By the end of May, the company plans to increase these numbers to 222 and 393, respectively.